Happy New Year to you! We hope 2006 be a great one for us all!
In the last newsletter I informed you that there will be no January edition, just in case you missed that edition - apologies.. see the things you miss when you don't check out every edition?! ;)
I guess those of you who couldn't make holidays during December are probably eager to find out what's been happening in Sierra Leone. Truth is, not much. Not much has changed since feedback from my last trip in September 2005. The two main highlights for me were Sierra Leone music (absolutely fantastic) and garbage (not great). Freetown has a garbage problem that has being going on for a while basically.. You could try to ignore it but when you're caught in traffic because garbage has spilled over across the street - not a pretty sight.. or smell.. in that heat. if you went to a restaurant where basic hygiene practices are not observed it is very unlikely you'd recommend that place to someone else. We need to think about that as we talk about attracting investment. Even the electricity problem seemed miniscule compared to that now. In fairness to the council one often saw trucks trying to tackle the garbage but often I felt they lost the battle as no sooner they finish an area.. as if by magic...more garbage appears. Anyway, that's out of the system now.. but seriously.. somebody.. anybody.. do something.. quick.
Garbage aside, it was pretty much the same as always.. lots of music.. Pardis, Old School Night Club, Crown Bakery, Delightful restaurant. Usual stuff. Another main highlight was meeting people out there that are part of the VSL forum community. That was great.. I also met a few peepers (people who don't make a comment) in Sierra Leone which was really cool. Forumites are doing positive things out there.. we all probably know about the "Brain Gain" project.. but I also met a dynamic forumite out there who's just launched an Internet Cafe in Bo. Way to go man! More on that investment in the next issue.
Read up on some more feedback here:
http://forum.visitsierraleone.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=1034&PN=2
The telecommunications industry is as competitive as ever.. hope this can be replicated in other industries. In travel, visitors may soon be able to apply for a visa on landing at Freetown International Airport, Lungi but this is still subject to government approval.
That's it from me for now.. as usual the newsletter is packed full of information. Enjoy!
B
Site Update: Hotel Reservations - Travel made simple.. |
| VSL is proud to announce that a selection of five more hotels have been added to the featured hotels list. If you are planning a trip to Sierra Leone you can place a reservation with these hotels via VSL and we'll help you plan your trip. No need to burn up your bill placing international phone calls to get accommodation. Lets do the leg work for you... and you may even make a saving!
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/featured_hotels.asp
You may have noticed that we have a brand spanking new logo. It's concept is quite straightforward. The rising sun symbolises a new dawn for Sierra Leone, the Cotton Tree in Freetown symbolises the strength and resolve of the Sierra Leonean and the mountains in the background represent Sierra Leone's hilly landscape. This is VSL's new identity.
Want to learn some basic krio to help you get around in Sierra Leone? Check out this page
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/krio.asp
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Event - Sierra Leone Investment Forum |
| The above event will take place on the 27th-29th March 2006 at Hotel Kimbima. The organisers are looking for more Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora to register and take part in this event. None had registered as of last week. Don't miss on this opportunity to build vital links. This is a joint effort by Africa Recruit, Commonwealth Business Council, Sierra Leone Government and The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Go here for more information: http://www.africarecruit.com/sierra/index.htm or http://forum.visitsierraleone.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=1066&PN=1 |
Guest Articles
This month we have three contributions to the Travel Blog.
The first (Bunce Island December 2005) is an article from Jims Jams following the Bunce Island 2005 trip organised by VisitSierraLeone.
 On the morning of Friday the 30th of December 2005, a group of ten people gathered at the famous Aqua Sports Club to embark on a journey to the historic place off the coast of Sierra Leone called Bunce Island.
I got in the boat filled with anticipation. The excitement of going on a boat trip, the opportunity to soak up the scenery of Freetown from the sea and most definitely the step back into our history.
See the full article here:
http://blogs.visitsierraleone.org/2006/02/bunce-island-december-2005.html
The second (Me and Sierra Leone) comes from Nasratha and this is what she had to say after returning home from Christmas holidays in the country:
I just returned from my journey back home and I most say that I'm in recovery after which i will explain in detail about my experience. I feel like Sierra Leone and I are in an abusive relationship in which i keep going back for more even though it keeps hurting me. It's like loving someone who's addicted to drugs...you keep hoping they'll stop but they don't and you keep on loving anyway.
See the full article here:
http://blogs.visitsierraleone.org/2006/01/me-and-sierra-leone.html
The third (back from salone - we go see back) comes from Mama Africa, a Belgian tourist who passed through the forum on her way to Sierra Leone. True to her word she provided detailed feedback on her return, as promised.
We are 2 Belgians, used to travel in African and Latin-American countries. We prefer to travel in an independent way; i.e. we book a flight and explore the possibilities ‘on the spot’. No ‘big spenders’, but rather looking for modest guesthouses or hotels and preferring public to private transport. Fully aware that the actual Salone was not used to host tourists with our profile, we left for a 5-weeks-stay on Friday, October 28th 2005.
See there full article here:
http://blogs.visitsierraleone.org/2006/01/back-from-salone-we-go-see-back.html
Thanks people!
If you wish to make a contribution please send your articles to:
newsletter@visitsierraleone.org
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Amistad: A Long Road to Freedom
by Walter Dean Myers
Follow the events of the captives on the Amistad, a slave ship that left Havana, Cuba, in 1839. The ships intended destination was Puerto Principe, but a series of events landed the ship and its captives on the shores of the United States where an unforgettable trial followed. The revolt was led by Sengbeh Pieh, a slave from Sierra Leone.
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